PENSACOLA, Fla. (JMU Athletics) – Tylik Weeks scored 31 points to lead Southern Miss past James Madison men’s basketball, 86-80, in the Third Round of the 2026 Sun Belt Championship on Thursday night at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Cliff Davis finished with 19 points, leading JMU in scoring for the 17th time this season. Bradley Douglas registered 18 points and two assists, while Gabe Newhof contributed 11 points and five rebounds.
Christian Brown finished with a season-high nine points and recorded four blocks, bringing his season total to 49 to break Andre Nation’s previous JMU single-season block record.
Weeks scored 31 for the Golden Eagles, his third 30-point game of the season. Isaac Taveras logged 17 and a team-leading eight boards as the Golden Eagles shot 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the floor.
How it Happened
First Half – James Madison 33, Southern Miss 35
• Neither squad could pull ahead early, as the lead changed hands eight times in first ten minutes of play, with JMU holding a 19-16 lead at the under 12 media timeout.
• After the Golden Eagles worked back to tie the contest, three straight JMU buckets, capped by a Douglas three-pointer, allowed the Dukes to take a 29-24 lead at the 4:09 mark.
• Southern Miss closed the half on an 11-4 run to head to the locker room with a two-point advantage at the break.
Second Half – Southern Miss 86, James Madison 80
• The lead switched hands twice more at the beginning of the half before the Golden Eagles embarked on a 12-2 scoring run to build a 55-45 lead with just under 14 minutes to play.
• Southern Miss kept the Dukes at a distance the rest of the way, growing its lead to as many as 13 to advance to the next round of the Sun Belt tournament.
Game Notes
• Christian Brown’s three blocks bring him to 49 on the season, breaking the JMU freshman record for blocks set by Andre Nation in the 2009-10 season.
• Gabe Newhof’s 11 points mark the 10th time he’s scored in double figures this season.
• Davis finished the season with 99 threes, the third-most in a single season in JMU history.
— JMU Athletics —
